Part of Pride at FilmScene; presented in partnership with HIV/AIDS: Thirty Years and Beyond, a four-day reflection on HIV/AIDS, marking the 30th anniversary of care at the University of Iowa AIDS Clinic.
Preceded by short film THREE FACES OF AIDS, introduced by producer Kristi Ferguson.
FREE for students, present student ID at box office/ $5 for the general public
"Singular and powerful." - David Rooney, Hollywood Reporter
"An essential document of queer history." - A.O. Scott, New York Times
"A testament to extraordinary human bravery." Wesley Morris, Boston Globe
WINNER - Sundance Film Festival: Best Documentary
How to Survive a Plague is the story of the brave young men and women who successfully reversed the tide of an epidemic, demanded the attention of a fearful nation and stopped AIDS from becoming a death sentence. This improbable group of activists bucked opression and, with no scientific training, infiltrated government agencies and the pharmaceutical industry, helping to identify promising new medication and treatments and move them through trials and into drugstores in record time. In the process, they saved their own lives and ended the darkest days of a veritable plague, while virtually emptying AIDS wards in American hospitals in the process.
The powerful story of their fight is a classic tale of empowerment and activism that has since inspired movements for change in everything from breast cancer research to Occupy Wall Street. Their story stands as a powerful inspiration to future generations, a road map, and a call to arms. This is how you change the world. Introduced by Professor Ted Powers, Dept. of Anthropology; preceded by short film Three Faces of Aids, introduced by producer Kristi Ferguson.